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Simplifying kid birthday parties

You can do what I did, which is make your best attempt to find a gift that is inexpensive but also interesting and interactive and aligned with a reported interest in princesses, then watch that gift (with a lovely card made by the birthday girl’s friend) get added to a pyramid of like packages because about a dozen children were invited to the party and no one arrived empty handed. No one left empty handed either, because sometime between my childhood and now it became a common American middle-class practice for each guest to leave a birthday party with a gift bag of candy and plastic trinkets.

As I plan my son’s upcoming birthday party, my husband and I have agreed to put “no gifts, please” on invitations and to not provide gift bags. There will be cake and classic six-year-old party games adapted to an outer space theme based on my son’s current interests. I will say now that the work and craftiness required to pull that off—on a small budget, by amateurs—has me predicting a special outing with family or a friend next year instead of a party.

If you’re looking for some useful suggestions and encouragement on how to simplify your child’s birthday party and keep the emphasis on fun, check out birthdays without pressure.